Changeable sign and label



(No Model.)

0. A; GILDEMEYER. UHANGEABLE SIGN AND LABEL.

No. 498,053. Patented May 23, 1893.

THIS TRAIN FOR Efi' 'f'fi f Inventor dfiarlos fl all e/ yer UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. GILDEMEYER, OF HADDONFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

CHANGEABLE SIGN AND LABEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,053, dated May 23, 1893 Application filed November 8,1892. Serial No. 450,897. (No model.)

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. GILDE- MEYER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Haddonfleld, New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Changeable Signs and Labels, of which the following is a specification.

The object of myinvention is to so construct a changeable label or sign that it will not be cumbersome, and which can be manufactured at a very small cost, and which can be readily applied to either boxes or drawers, &c. This object I attain in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1, is a view of a music dealers box with a label applied thereto. Fig. 2, is a view of a train sign board. Fig. 3, is a detached perspective view of a portion of a sign illustrating the individual character leaflets. Fig; 4, is an enlarged sectional view through the sign on the line 1 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 5, is an exaggerated diagram illustrating my invention.

Fig. 6, is a view showing the use of numbers instead of letters. Fig. 7, is a modification of the coverv plate. Figs. 8, 9, and 10, are views of details of my invention.

Changeable signs as ordinarily constructed are either made of independent blocks or pieces having a single character marked thereon, and detachable from the backing, or the backing has permanently marked thereon a name, and the backing itself is removed and another backing strip with a different name placed in position, but all these devices are expensive and cumbersome, and are objectionable, especially for such use as marking drawers and boxes in stores.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 5, Ais the backing strip which may form part of the box, or may be an independent piece, and on this box I secure a number of independent leaflets B composed of a series of leaves b secured together at one end I) so that they can be folded back the same as a book. These leaflets are placed side by side as shown in Fig. 3, and I print or otherwise mark upon one side of each leaf a character, this character depending altogether upon the use to which the sign or label is to be put. Generally, each leaflet is composed of a number of leaves upon which the characters of the alphabet are printed in rotation, and the leaflets may have the numerals as well as the letters, and in some instances the numerals alone may be used when required.

The leaves may be of paper, celluloid, thin strips of Wood, or of any other suitable material, and in some instances the backs of the leaves may have characters marked thereon as well as the front, but I prefer to have the backs of the leaves blank, so that when it is required to leave a blank space between two words for instance, a leaf is turned over upon the adjoining leaflet; or a single blank leaf may be employed when the characters are on both faces of the leafone side of the leaf may have upper case characters, and the other side the lower case characters.

When the leaves are turned to expose the characters required to spell a word, or indicate the contents of a box, the cover plate is placed over the series of leaflets holding them in position and preventing them from becoming distorted. This cover plate may be simply a strip of card board or wood D having an opening therein to expose the characters, or may be made of transparent celluloid or glass, and the cover plate may be slipped under flanges d, d, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, or maybe pivoted as shown in Fig. 7, when used for sign boards for instance, and the upper and lower edges of the leaflets may pass under flanges, dispensing with the cover plate.

The leaves of the leaflet B may be joined together as shown in Fig. 9, without departing from my invention, but I prefer the form shown in Fig. 3.

- To change thesign or label, all that is necessary, if for instance, the leaflets are in the position shown in Fig. 3, with the first letter of the alphabet exposed, and it is wished to com pose the word PENS as indicated in Fig. 5, the leaves of the first leaflet are turned over until the letter P is exposed." Then the leaves of the second leaflet are turned over until the letter E is exposed, and the leaves of the first leaflet which .are turned over are passed under the leaves of the second leaflet, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, and the leaves of the third leaflet are turned over until the letter N is exposed, and the leaves of the fourth leaflet are then turned over until the letter S is exposed, after which the leaves can be confined in their positions either by the cover plate, or any other suitable means described above.

It will be understood that a single leaflet may be used where itis only required to use one character; or compound characters on one leaflet may be used, without departing from my invention.

At one side of some of the leaves I attach a small leaf on which I mark the periods, commas, dollar marks, &c., as shown in Fig. 10.

I claim as my inventiona 1. In a changeable sign or label, the combination of a backing, a leaflet permanently secured thereto, composed of a series of leaves secured together, and a case or holder whereby l to this specification in the'presen'ce of two subsaid leaves may be held in folded form with either leaf uppermost, substantially as described.

2. The combination in a sign or label, of a series of leaflets each having leaves, secured together the leaflets being arranged adjoining 3 each other, and the leaves of one leaflet overlapping the leaves of the other when opened, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the backing, a series of leaflets secured thereto, the leaves of said leaflets having thereon characters, with a confining covering tending to hold the leaves in their adjusted positions and expose the characters thereon, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the series of leaflets, the leaves of each leaflet being pivoted to each other, and with a cover plate having an open center, with ways on which the cover plate slides, substantially as described.

5; The combination of the pivoted leaf, with an extension pivoted thereto and having a gcharacter thereon and acover plate having 1 an open center,subs'tantially as set forth;

In testimony whereof I havesigned my name scribing witnesses;

CHARLES A. GILDEMEYER.

\Vitnesses:

WILLIAM D. CQNNER, JOSEPH I-I. KLEIN. 

